Silly Faces, Going Places, Batman Traces

Some more pictures from the last few weeks - we've been very busy having fun!  We've had play dates and gone apple picking and made yet another trip to the Bronx Zoo.

We had a play date with Max a few weeks ago & we all made Great Grandma Miller's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  See my children eating the dough...

Jen had the kids captivated as they SCOOPED and DUMPED.  Harper also enjoyed the special toddler step stool for kitchen helping - she was just like the big kids!

 

And here Luke & Max grew skeptical of Jen's methods

Harper got her own tray & bowl of dough.  These cookies were fortified with Harper germs

Daddy had to go to CA on business at the beginning of the month.  One morning before school Luke had me "take pictures of us making silly faces."

Luke workshopped some looks

"This is me after someone stoled something from me."(?)

Luke taught Harper how to make this silly face

And Harper kept it up even after Luke stepped out of frame

...and they did it again a few days later.  Harper is wearing her new favorite "GROVER SHIRT!"

They have rediscovered...and broken...the microphone that came with Luke's keyboard from Aunt Sharren & Uncle Charlie.  Who needs the TODAY concert series?  We have Luke Live.

A replacement microphone was procured and Luke made the silent butler into a mic stand.  Doesn't everyone rock out in fireman jams and your sister's hand-me-down slippers?

PONIES! 

Double fisting dessert - cookies from Max's house & an apple

Luke got his face painted at the Irish Festival

Luke has chosen to be Batman for Halloween.  He is so excited we have had to hide his costume, but the first night he wore the gloves and slept with the mask & cowl

And Harper has been obsessed with Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library, just about memorizing "One Was Johnny"  She also likes to bring them to bed with her.  I walked in one night 15 minutes or so after I had put her down and she was on her back, half asleep, dreamily clutching them to her chest.  "LITTLE BOOKS.  Read chicken soup WITH RICE."

How did she get enough hair for a ponytail?! (It stayed in for approximately 10 minutes)

We made our annual apple picking trip - Luke is an old pro

Harper dug right in to her spoils

Luke, too, got his money's worth

Harper was also determined to find a "happy punkin"

Luke helped her look

 

Approved!

They also rode the tractors at the apple farm

'nuff said

YAY indeed

This past weekend we took advantage of an Indian Summer day and went back to the Bronx for Boo at the Zoo.
Harper caught a ride on Daddy

Luke got to wear part of his Batman costume

But he took it off for the "haunted" hayride

At first, Harper was having fun

But then animatronic skeletons started popping up along the route and she DID NOT WANT

Luke worked on some spooky faces

Then, just one day later, we were all bundled up and making carrot muffins

Luke and Harper were in charge of lining the muffin tin

"I HELP."

Columbus Day wasn't a holiday for Daddy, so Luke, Harper, and Mommy had a fun day together.  In addition to breakfast out and a trip to the "Big Park," we made a tent in the living room.  Here Luke is loading in the magnetic white board.  Of course.  The step stools outside are "the porch."

Harper was introduced to peanut butter crackers.  She LOVED them.

She wasted no time getting as many in her mouth as possible

A rousing game of "Cootie Bug Free" was played (which, per Luke, is when you "don't bounce the red thing and just put together silly bugs")

And Harper and Mommy made cookies.  She was a great helper - "I MIXIN'!  I DUMP IT!"